Michigan Implements New Literacy/Dyslexia Bills
Two new literacy/dyslexia laws were signed last month by Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer at Gardner International Magnet School in Lansing. “Kids won today,” said state superintendent Dr. Michael F. Rice. “This is the most consequential education legislation signed in Michigan in the past two decades, with the possible exception of historic state school aid budgets for fiscal years 2023 and 2024. In the coming years, Michigan children learning to read will benefit enormously.”
In September, the state Senate and House sent two literacy/ dyslexia bills to the governor in resounding bipartisan votes. The K–12 literacy/dyslexia legislation that now becomes law has been championed by the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) and the State Board of Education. Senate Bills 567 and 568 become law. The legislature has been working on various iterations of the bills for over five years.
“It’s encouraging to witness Governor Whitmer and our partners in the Michigan legislature joining together—across the aisle—to take action to ensure that Michigan children have the necessary tools to develop their reading skills,” said board president Dr. Pamela Pugh. “They recognize that literacy is a fundamental component of educational success. This investment in education benefits not only individual students but also fortifies communities and the state as a whole.”
MDE officials testified in support of the bills before the Senate Education Committee in February. They testified before the House Education Committee in June to encourage legislators to pass the bills. Improving early literacy achievement is one of the goals in Michigan’s Top Ten Strategic Education Plan. The law will strengthen the effectiveness of literacy instruction and intervention for Michigan students, MDE officials say. It will also provide for both preservice and in-service training to educators to learn or strengthen skills needed to identify Michigan students with characteristics of dyslexia.
“We at MDE recognize our role and responsibilities in implementing these new laws for the benefit of children. Now that the bills have been signed into law, we look forward to working closely with our partners, including local school districts, intermediate school districts, and institutions of higher education,” said Dr. Sue C. Carnell, MDE chief deputy superintendent.
Beginning in the 2027–28 school year, the new laws will require public schools to:
• Screen, with a tool from a list of approved screening tools, all students in kindergarten through third grade for characteristics of dyslexia three times per school year.
• Ensure that reading intervention is provided to all K–12 students who demonstrate characteristics of dyslexia as a result of screening assessment data.
• Use a multitiered system of supports (MTSS) framework to organize evidence-based classroom and intervention instruction and materials to effectively meet the needs of all learners.
• Provide literacy consultants, teachers, literacy coaches, and other instructional staff with professional learning on characteristics of dyslexia, instructional practices, and accommodations that have strong evidence for improving literacy outcomes and are consistent with the science of reading.
• Select from a list of approved reading instructional materials.
MDE will provide guidance and support to public schools and institutions of higher education for required preservice and in-service learning and implementation strategies. Currently, Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling training, commonly known as LETRS, is professional learning that is accessible to Michigan elementary teachers and administrators and that is aligned to the new laws. MDE has strongly recommended this training for elementary teachers across the state. Approximately 2,600 Michigan teachers have completed the training, and another approximately 7,500 have begun the training.
PA Reading Curricula Bill Passes
Pennsylvania may soon have a list of reading curricula designated by the state as “evidence-based,” under a bill that unanimously passed the House and Senate.
Unlike an earlier version of the legislation, the bill expected to be signed by Governor Josh Shapiro won’t force any school districts to use the curricula or change how they teach reading. Science of reading advocates say they’re still pushing to require schools to use the approved curricula and screen all young students for reading difficulties, but called the bill an important first step.
The bill directs the state Department of Education to select a council of 20 members with expertise in structured literacy to produce a list of approved evidence-based reading curricula, “aligned with the Commonwealth’s academic standards and the science of reading.”
It will also produce a list of approved structured literacy trainings for teachers, screening tests to assess children’s reading needs, and intervention approaches for children deemed in need of additional reading support.
The council must include public school elementary teachers—including reading specialists, literacy coaches, and special education teachers—and represent urban, rural, and suburban school districts.
The bill sets a deadline of June 1, 2025, for the Department of Education to develop the list of approved reading curricula and other materials.
Literacy Funding Withheld in Wisconsin
Wisconsin state superintendent Dr. Jill Underly is calling on lawmakers to release nearly $50 million to fund a new school literacy program.
Last year, Wisconsin Act 20 passed with bipartisan support. The aim of the act is to increase reading proficiency in third graders by addressing curriculums and identifying struggling students in earlier grade levels.
The act calls for the hiring of literacy coaches to improve reading scores, but the agency has lacked the funding to bring on the staff.
Underly sent a letter to the Republican leaders of the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee, telling them the money is needed. “Now is the time to keep your promise to Wisconsin families,” she wrote. “Now is the time to take action and release the funding.”
